Like a leaf in the wind
by kawaiiyume312
Summary: Monarch's life can be very lonely. Elvenking Thranduil can't cope with his solitude. When his son Legolas returns home after a defeat of Sauron, it turns out that a guest'll visit the palace... will his presence affect Thranduil and his kingdom? Will king's life turn upside down? Warning: Slash story. Aragorn & Thranduil
1. Chapter 1 - Hope

The Wood of GreenLeaves was gilded by rays of dying sunlight. Long shadows were sharpening the shapes of bushes and trees and were giving them an amazing, mysterious aura. Colorful, fragrant herbs and flowers seemed to shout: ''Touch me, smell me...''. Somewhere in the distance you could hear the soothing sound of a brook. If a lost, thirsty wanderer deviated from the road leading to the stream and headed north, he would see a large, moss-covered cavern. Strange premonition and riot of color emanating from its depths would probably make the man come inside. And there, in the distance, he would see the beautiful palace carved into the dark, moist rock.

A ruler of this palace was Thranduil, an Elvenking.

* * *

Fidhail watched his master anxiously. _''How long has it been since he locked himself in his chambers? Two weeks? Yes, something like that_.'' King didn't go out of his room and didn't talk to anyone except for Fidhail, his faithful servant. But even he wasn't allowed to know what exactly was troubling ruler of the Woodland Realm. He could only guess that the reason of his sadness was the lack of news from the east.

Thranduil looked at a white sheet of paper lying on the majestic oak desk, then he shook his head and sighed. His slender fingers tightened on the balcony railing; his penetrating azure eyes were fixed on the point in the distance. ''_Every day the same situation._'', thought the servant. He couldn't bear to see sad Thranduil. Such a beautiful creature shouldn't suffer! It's against nature! Just look at this stunning face, long golden hair that shines in the sun and majestic posture, which can embarrass many elves... Fidhail didn't want to believe that gods created something so perfect, just to make it suffer .

The Elvenking stood motionless for a few more minutes. Then he turned to his servant and said:

''You can go.''

Fidhail bowed. Then he quickly left the room. He didn't know why the king called him over to the chamber. Maybe he was afraid of being alone? Or maybe he was afraid of something much worse? Fidhail didn't ask about the reason. Etiquette and his innate shyness didn't let him do that.

Thranduil turned to the window. How long does his son want to keep him in suspense? He sent him a letter telling that he'll come back in a week but... he didn'keep his promise. Thranduil bit his lip. He wanted Legolas to show up smiling and unhurt. Some of the elves in the northern part of The Wood of GreenLeaves were convinced that Elvenking was extremely harsh and demanding. However, the truth was a little different. There was a loving father hid under the guise of unyielding, cool ruler.

Thranduil took a fews steps forward. His long, silver robe rustled slightly. Silver gemstones which covered his sleeves shone like a scales of the most beautiful fish. He stopped right in front of large, ornate door. He should've gone outside and got some fresh air but he couldn't do that. Some invisible force was holding him in place.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Elvenking raised an eyebrow.

''Come in!'', he said in a loud voice.

Breathless elf came into the room. He wore a green tunic tied around the waist with brown belt.

''My lord! Scout brought the news! He saw…'', He started.

He couldn't finish because Thranduil pushed him aside and quickly got out of the room. He didn't have to hear the entire sentence to know that his requests fulfilled. Legolas returned home.


	2. Chapter 2 - Surprise

Thranduil walked down the stairs leading to the courtyard. His footsteps echoed loudly; sound bounced off the stone walls of the cave. A few curious elves turned towards the source of the noise. There was a surprise on their faces. They didn't expect to see the king. After all, he didn't go out of the palace for more than two weeks.

All of elves knelt down on one knee and placed their hands over their chests. Guard dressed in a light, dark armor watched his master's back. After a short moment, as if struck by a sudden thought, he sprang to his feet and ran to king.

''My lord! You should not go into the woods alone, without your sword!'', he gasped when he caught up with Thranduil. King didn't look at him. He quickened his pace.

''I know where scouts saw your son, Your Highness.'', said guard in a low voice.

Thranduil turned to him and looked at him with his cold eyes. Guard felt a shiver running down his spine.

''Then show me the way.'', said king.

* * *

Legolas stroked horse's neck and arranged a strap of his bow. He looked ahead; a joyful smile formed on his lips. He had to pass through the clearing, turn right and then, he was almost home. When did he last sleep in his bed? He didn't even remember.

''Hey, why are you grinning like this? Are you fantasying about some fine lady, or what?'', a loud, hoarse voice in which you could hear a small hint of amusement made elf rolled his eyes.

''Not everyone has dirty thoughts in mind. But you dwarves…'', Legolas whistled.

''Pfft. Who said something dirty?'', laughed Gimli. He looked around. ''How far is it? I'm hungry. I hope that your father has something good to eat.''

''We have to go through this clearing and we are almost there.'', said Legolas. His horse began to neigh. ''And do not worry about the food. Elves are famous from their hospitality and exquisite food.''

Hospitality... well, prince of the Woodland Realm had a strange feeling telling him that his father would not welcome Gimli very friendly. He has never liked dwarves.

Redbeard snorted.

''Exquisite food! No, thank you. Haunch, I said, haunch! That's what I called a real food!''

''Your taste scares me, my dear friend.'', Legolas shook his head, his long blond hair flowed.

Gimli snorted again, then he clapped his heels to his horse's flanks, giving him the signal to move. When riders reached the center of the clearing, a rustling noise accompanied by the sound of branches breaking came to their ears. Scared horses stopped on a dime. Legolas touched his bow slung over his shoulder and looked in the direction of the sound. High alders growing along the edge of the clearing parted and made a room for two riders. Legolas' eyes widened in surprise.

''Father?'', he whispered. Indeed, king of elves was heading toward Legolas and his companion. His dignified, beautiful horse had a silver bridle. A man who was riding alongside Thranduil was a palace guard; prince remembered him from his childhood years.

Gimli whistled.

Legolas didn't know what his friend had on his mind and he wasn't sure if he necessarily wanted to know so he just kept quiet.

When Thranduil and his bodyguard approached them, Legolas greeted his father with a nod and a cheerful smile.

''I did not expect you to greet us personally.'', he said with amusement.

Elvenking didn't say anything. His blue, shiny eyes gazed at the dwarf.

''Oh, this is my friend, Gimli. You know about him from my letter. He needs to rest so he will stay with us for a few days.'', in order to appease the king, Legolas said the words as gently and calmly as he could. Thranduil frowned. His hard gaze seemed to bore the poor dwarf, who suddenly felt the need to escape.

''At your service, Your Highness!'', he contained his shakiness and bowed his head reluctantly. In that brief moment when he held it down, he peeked at the Thranduil's shimmering boots. So the rumors were true - the king of the elves loved trinkets.

Legolas' father snorted. A gentle breeze stirred the red leaves inherent in his crown.

''I do not need your services, and thy presence in my forest, dwarf.'', he said. His voice was loud and dignified. ''However… my son will be very disconsolate, if I do not invite you.'', he looked at Legolas who sighed and turned his face toward the setting sun. He didn't expect greeting like this. He thought that since his father decided to personally greet him, he would be more expansive and less eccentric. Legolas also had a faint hope that Thranduil would be a little bit nicer for Gimli (despite his aversion to dwarves). Unfortunately, the prince was wrong. Even after so many long years the king of the Woodland Realm was a mystery to him. ''This is why I am compelled to invite you to my palace. Follow me.''

It seems that not only Legolas was surprised by the behavior and words of the king. Everyone, including the guard (who scratched his head), were apparently quite bewildered, because when Thranduil clapped his horse and started riding in the direction of the trees, it's been a few seconds before they finally move.

* * *

Thranduil grimaced. A view of a Gimli devoid of good manners, gave him a migraine. _''He is your guest, try to be understanding._'', thought the ruler. Dwarf devoured a haunch of boar (specially prepared for him) and barely stifled a burp. King of the elves sighed. _''By the gods, this is impossible_.''

''And here ends my summary of our adventures.'', said Legolas and grasped a handful of the berries lying on a silver plate with engraved, floral ornaments. He seemed to ignore the unmannerly behavior of his friend. After all this time spent with Gimli, he probably became accustomed to his antics. This thought made Thranduil's blood boil. No one should be in the company of the dwarf longer than necessary. Especially his son.

''I am proud of you. You have done a lot of great things.'', he said, still observing his guest, who started to eat a dessert - freshly baked apple pie.

''Thank you, father. I am glad to hear that.'', said Legolas. His father rarely praised him for his behavior, so every positive word coming out of his mouth meant a lot to him. ''And now... before we finish our meal...'', prince cleared his throat and smiled uncertainly. ''I have something else to say.''

Gimli looked up from his plate and stopped chewing. Thranduil took a sip of delicious red wine.

''What is it?'', he asked.

''We will have two more guests.'', said prince. When he had finished speaking to his father, he took a deep breath and started to pray for an approval. He knew that the Elvenking didn't like the so called ''surprise-guests'' and that the mere presence of the dwarf under his roof got on his nerves. This is why prince was afraid of his reaction.

King sighed and ran a hand over his face. _''Legolas, you never cease to amaze me.''_, he thought.


	3. Chapter 3 - Visit

Aragorn dismounted a horse. His escort followed his example and a moment later stood at the side of master. King of Gondor held out his hand to Arwen, who grabbed it and, gently, with grace, jumped off a white horse. Aragorn looked ahead. On the large circular courtyard gathered a sizeable group of elegantly dressed elves who were looking curiously at visitors. At the head of gathering stood Legolas. He was dressed in a beige tunic. When he managed to catch Aragorn's eye, he grinned. King of Gondor returned the sign of friendship, took his wife by the arm and, accompanied by his escort, started going in the direction of the palace. He stopped only when a crowd of elves parted to reveal a high, glowing silhouette standing at the top of the stone stairs. Elvenking started to slowly descend the stairs. His long, green robe trimmed with gold and silver threads was shining in sunlight. A group of colorful butterflies encircled him. Aragorn has never seen something so charming, so magical. He was stunned and fascinated by the beauty of Elvenking. For a short moment he followed his every move. Only when Arwen placed a hand on his shoulder, he snapped out of reverie. ''_Am I a victim of elvish spell_?", he thought. He smiled a little to himself. No, that's impossible.

''Welcome to my thresholds, Aragorn, son of Arathorn.'', Thranduil bowed slightly. So did his subjects. Only Legolas didn't move. He stood straight, smiling. ''And you, my lady.'' King of the elves looked at Arwen, bowed his head. The woman smiled and curtsied.

''It is a great honor to be a guest in your palace.'', said Aragorn. ''Please, accept this humble gift.''

One of the guards from escort stepped forward and gave his master a small wooden box with a gold seal and beautiful ornament depicting two deers with silver antlers. King of Gondor gave Thranduil the gift and looked in the direction of Legolas, who smiled broadly.

Elvenking looked at the object lying on his palms. The elves standing around leaned in, curious of what was in the box. King opened the lid. Chest was lined with red satin. A beautiful silver ring with large square cut emerald that glistened in the sun was lying in the middle of the lining.

''What a resplendent gift. Thank you. Emeralds are my favorite gemstones.'', said Thranduil. He seemed to be really pleased. He took out the ring and put it on his finger.

''What a coincidence.'', laughed Aragorn. He looked at Legolas. It was obvious that the elven prince told his friend abut his father's taste.

''Oh, yes, a really big one.'', an amused, melodious voice of Thranduil pierced through the air. For a brief moment, his eyes met with Aragorn's irises. Then Elvenking looked at the Arwen who was watching the whole situation with a small, warm smile on her lips. But even this nonverbal communique didn't cover a hint of fatigue visible on her beautiful face.

''Oh, where are my manners? You must be very tired. Please, let us go inside.'', said Thranduil. He made a hand gesture in the direction of the stairs.

After a few seconds they all went into the palace.

* * *

During a feast appointed by the king of the elves Aragorn carefully described the purpose of his arrival. His intention was to establish a trade and military cooperation with the wood elves. At the urging of his son, Thranduil agreed to conclude an agreement and decided to let Aragorn and his wife stay in his palace for a little bit longer. However, he didn't know that royal couple and Gimli would remain in his house for much longer than they intended...

* * *

Elvenking looked at the dark pond covered in greenish duckweed. A few red fish with golden spots stopped close to where he stood, hoping that they will get something to eat. King of the elves, however, didn't have anything to feed the creatures. He turned around and walked toward the tree with extremely thick trunk. This tree has been growing in a cave for a long, long time - it was planted 500 years ago, when the servants of the king filled a big cavity in the cave floor with water, creating an artificial pond.

King placed his hand on thick, hard bark. Touch of plants that were growing in his part of the forest, cheered him and let him get away from boredom and sorrows of everyday life. Yes, sorrows. King of the elves was sad. The long awaited return of his son didn't improve his mood. Although Legolas tried to spend as much time as possible with his father, Thranduil felt like it still wasn't enough. He didn't like the fact that prince, day by day, was hanging out with Gimli (who apparently didn't want to leave the palace). He felt betrayed, unwanted and, although his appearance didn't prove it - old. Oh, how much he would give to be able to travel around the world one more time... how much he would give to find a person who would disperse darkness of the royal life which chained him to the walls of mossy cavern by endless chain of responsibilities...

Thranduil sighed and walked around the tree. His long robe swept the moss which overgrown magically in the area around the roots. When the king stopped at the place where a big, gray stone was leaning against a bark of the tree, a small bird with red belly flew from one of the lower-lying branches. It sat on Thranduil's shoulder and began to tweet. Animals, plants of the forest… they all loved Elvenking, respect him and were able to talk to him.

Ruler gently stroked the little head of the bird. Creature tweeted, then it flew down and sat on Thranduil's hand. Its black eyes (which were resembling small beads) looked sadly at the ruler. Animal felt elf's melancholy. It tilded its head.

''You say, my little friend, that spring is coming? Yes, it is a big consolation.'', smiled king. He was gentle and kind to such and extent only for his beloved animals.

''Such a beautiful smile. What a pity that it is so rarely seen by the subjects.'', suddenly a strong, loud voice echoed in the cave. Frightened bird flew away.

King of the elves turned around. In the narrow passage leading to the corridor heading towards the palace stood Aragorn. Thranduil said nothing. He lowered his head and looked sadly at a clump of grass growing between the long tree roots.

King of Gondor approached him.

''Please forgive my audacity. I did not want to say anything inappropriate.'', he said and smiled gently, apologetically.

Thranduil raised his head. His beautiful eyes sparkled with vivid blue light.

''Do not worry. I did not take it as something inappropriate.'', he said.

''That is good. In that case... would you like me to accompany you on your walk?''

For a moment, king of the elves examined Aragorn's face. Good manners, sophisticated words and gestures - king of Gondor was the complete opposite of Gimli.

''Yes, of course.'', a forced, barely perceptible smiled formed on his lips.

They began their walk. Aragorn was curious about many elements visible in the cave, so Elvenking told him about the sculptures, plants and everything that aroused Dúnadan's interest . At one point, they stopped in front of a statue depicting Oropher, Thranduil's father.

''After the defeat of Sauron, forest became much calmer. I think I should thank you, and somehow compensate for all your hard work.'', said Elvenking.

Aragorn looked at the dignified, stony face of Oropher who held a bow in his left hand. Then he sat down on a boulder lying near a small rill dripping down the wall of the cave.

''Spending time in your palace, at your side, Your Highness, is a sufficient reward.'', he said. He stared at Thranduil's face.

King of elves turned his head to the left. Was it just his imagination, or Aragorn's words had a subtext? For the first time in his long life Elvenking felt uncomfortable.

''These words are really nice but consider the fact that I am not special. I do not think that associating with me is something amazing.'', he said rather coldly.

Aragorn shook his head.

''Your father…'', he looked up, into Oropher's stone eyes. ''…was someone special, brave, you are special too, Your Highness. The same goes for Legolas.''

''Being a son of someone special does not make you special.'', said Thranduil.

King of Gondor laughed loudly.

''Maybe, maybe not. But after all, I dare say that you, my lord…'', he started.

Suddenly, a voice of one of the Aragorn's guards came from the depths of the cave:

''My king? Lady Arwen calls for you!''

Aragorn stood up.

''Excuse me. Duty calls.'', he said with a slight amusement. When Thranduil nodded, King of Gondor walked away, leaving his interlocutor at the mercy of the besetting thoughts.


	4. Chapter 4 - Unexpected situation

Days went by quickly. Autumn began to give way to a snowy winter. White, big snowflakes were swirling in the air and falling on the trees growing in the Woodland Realm. Only one cave in the forest was left untouched by the cold gusts and blinding whiteness. The only visible sign that there was a change of the seasons was the change in the garb of Elvenking. On his head one could see a silvery-white crown which looked like icicles enlaced in leaves of winter ivy. Autumn robes turned into a beautiful, silver clothes with patterns which looked like sparkling snowflakes and green coat was replaced by coat lined with warm, white fur.

''Sire?'', Legolas' cheerful voice ringed in the air. Elf ran down the stairs and quickly put the distance between him and the king.

Thranduil turned away from the window and looked critically at his son. When he saw that there was a black streak of crushed coal on his cheek, he gently wiped it off with his thumb.

''By the gods, you look awful!'', he said. When Legolas lowered his eyes, he sighed. ''How many more times does your dwarf friend plan to take you with him to the underground passages?''

''I do not know, but I have nothing against it. Walking in the underground is interesting .''

King didn't like this answer. He didn't want his son to be a troublemaker eager for dirty adventures.

''What is so fascinating about crawling through the muddy passages?''

''And what is so interesting about sitting in a palace and not doing anything that makes sense?'', asked Legolas. However, after a few seconds he realized that he crossed the border which son shouldn't ever cross in relation with his father. ''I am sorry. I did not want to…''

Thranduil raised his hand.

''No, you are right. There is nothing interesting about it.'', he said. There was a barely audible hint of bitterness in his voice. He turned back to the window and looked at the two figures standing in the palace's garden. Legolas looked out the window too. He didn't really know what to say. This situation, situation in which he found himself, seemed strange to him. He cleared his throat and changed the topic:

''Isn't lady Arwen beautiful? She resembles my mother. She had the same smile.''

Elvenking flinched at the memory of his wife. Although many years have passed since her death, he still couldn't shake off a strange emptiness which filled his heart. He loved her so much.

''Yes, indeed, she is.'', he said. ''But your mother… she was the most beautiful woman in the Middle-earth.''

Legolas smiled.

''Of course.''

''No one can ever replace her...'', quiet words which came from lips of the king were filled with pain. His eyes fixed on the Aragorn. This man... intrigued him. Though Thranduil met him long time ago, when Dúnadan was not a king, but only a Ranger who brought Gollum to the elves, he had an impression that he didn't know anything about this man - that since those days something have changed in Aragorn's behavior.

''Father… If I may say something – you should change the way you think about it. It has been so many years since mother have died... Look around us. There are many beautiful, intelligent women who would be ideal candidates to fight for your heart. Don't you think that it has been a long time since...'', Legolas bit his tongue. _''Don't you think it has been a long time since you had any woman?_'' – it was a question that could ruin everything; luckily he could stop himself just in time.

Thranduil's eyes narrowed.

''Stop this nonsense, Legolas! You know that I would rather live thousand years in celibacy than touch a woman other than your mother!'', he said.

In normal situation, Legolas would probably laugh hearing the word ''celibacy''. But at that time, he wasn't amused at all. His father behaved like an old man whose strength, intellect and young appearance were taken away. He was just like an empty shell, incapable of any pleasure. It was annoying Legolas so much. The person who stood in front of him wasn't a graybeard but a beautiful, young - looking man at his mental and physical prime; man who should enjoy his life and praise the gods for their decision to give the elves the possibility of eternal life.

Legolas let out a quiet sigh.

''Very well. Let us leave this topic.'', he said. ''I did not want to talk about mother and romances.''

''Well… then say what you wanted to say. '', you could hear an impatience in Elvenking's voice. He raised his head and watched his son.

''I thought… maybe we should go hunting? It has been a long time since we were together in the forest. I've heard that enraged bear is prowling near the Grotto. Some of our archers saw him eating the deer.''

Legolas looked at his father's face. He knew that deers were his soft spot. He loved them just like his own children. Prince hoped that information about bear would pull Thranduil away from the thoughts which seemed to really bother him.

Elvenking closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Three weeks ago he really wanted his son's attention but then… well, situation has changed. He got used to the fact that his child was spending most of the time with Aragorn and Gimli - you can say that the pain in his heart was partially replaced by indifference and discouragement.

''Did I not make myself clear, my son? I appreciate your efforts but none of your suggestions, none of your words will suddenly make me happy.''

Legolas stared at his father in disbelief.

''Really, do you think I am a fool? I can see where this is going, my dear. Please, stop it. Everyone needs to know when their time is over. My turn came some time ago.''

And with these words, Thranduil came to the conclusion that conversation with his son is over. He turned around, his robes rustled. He started to walk away in an elegant, majestic stride and soon he disappeared from Legolas' sight.

* * *

Noise that was heard in the throne room made everyone, including Thranduil, raised their heads. The large, wooden door opened with a bang and a panting, pale scout rushed into the chamber. His brown, light armor was stained with blood. Two guards were following him. They had worried faces.

''L-lord! Some…thing awful hap-pened!'', gasped scout. He stood in the middle of the room and for a moment he tried to catch his breath. All the elves who gathered in the room were watching the situation with great concern. Aragorn, who was standing near one of the monumental columns, frowned. When the scout finally absorbed enough oxygen, he straightened up, leaning on the arm of one of the guards. That moment everyone noticed that there was a black arrowhead of a broken arrow stuck in the scout's flesh. Loud groan of shock was heard in the chamber. Thranduil quickly stood up from his throne and approached the elf.

''We found him near the entrance to the Grotto. He was lying on the ground beside his horse. Judging from his condition, he did not have the strength to get up. We wanted to take him to the herbalist but he refused saying that he must see you immediately, sir.'', said guard with black eyes when Thranduil gave him a quick, questioning look.

Scout groaned and wobbled. He didn't fall only thanks to quick reaction of the second guard.

''Y-your Highness! There is…no… time to lose! O…rcs! Orcs are attacking!'', shouted scout. He was quickly losing his strength. He placed his hand on the wound; his sickly pale face twisted in a grimace of pain.

This time, in the room, one could hear cries of terror. Everything turned into general chaos. Everyone started to panic. Some of the elves clutched their heads in disbelief, while others ran out of the room to announce their families the terrible message. Only Aragorn was standing in the same place. He was looking at Thranduil with curiosity and he was waiting for his reaction.

King of the elves shivered.

''Silent!'', he yelled. His powerful voice bounced off the walls. Suddenly, everyone stopped panicking and went silent. They turned their eyes to the king. No one dared to make a sound. ''Orcs? That is impossible! No one has seen them since the war!''

Scout coughed. A trickle of blood flowed from a corner of his mouth. Thranduil felt an unpleasant twinge in his heart. He didn't know if it was an anxiety caused by the unexpected news or the concern for his subject.

''But it is true, m-my lord! There are… over five hundred of them... only a few miles from palace! T-they appeared out of nowhere… a…and killed m-my squad!'', stammered scout. He sank to his knees. Guard wasn't able to support him any longer. ''We must… arm ourselves for… a battle, sir!''

Scout slowly sat down on the ground and after a few seconds, grimacing, moaning and spitting blood, he fell on his back. He turned his head toward his king.

''Si... re, ple..ase, before… I die… I want to… see beauty.'', he stretched out his hand in the direction of Thranduil. Guards looked at Elvenking with sadness and confusion.

Ruler walked up to wounded man and crouched. His hand delicately brushed away a strand of hair which fell in elf's sweaty, feverish forehead. Scout smiled.

''Please...'', he whispered. Thranduil seemed to know what the dying man was asking for. He opened his hand, looked at it sadly, and then, he articulated a few barely audible words. Suddenly, his hand started to glow with bright light which quickly began to take some shape. When the luminosity was gone, a fantastic view appeared before the eyes of all astonished observers - a beautiful, big butterfly with colorful, shining wings. Insect fluttered its wings and flew down on scout's chest. Man's lips curled into a slight, painful smile.

''Thank you… '', he whispered with tears in his eyes. After a few seconds, clear madness appeared on his face. ''Orcs! They…'', he said in agony. Unfortunately, he didn't end his sentence. His irises went hazy.

Thranduil sighed and closed eyes of a dead man.

''_Esta e'seere.'', _he said. All of a sudden, someone placed hand on his forearm. King of the elves raised his eyes and saw Aragorn, who was smiling sadly but comfortingly. Two guards behind his back had sceptical faces.

''I will see if this news is true.'', said king of Gondor. ''If you do not mind, sir, I would like to take with me some of your guards.''

Elvenking nodded. Aragorn gently, almost imperceptibly ran his fingers across Thranduil's skin. King of the elves frowned and pulled his hand away. Stunned Dúnadan stood up, bowed his head stiffly, and left the throne room.

For a moment, Thranduil looked at the face of the deceased. Magic butterfly flew into the air and then sat down on the emerald ring, a gift from the king of Gondor. For a a few seconds, the creation looked at Thranduil. After that it flapped its colorful wings and melted into the air. Suddenly, the king of the elves felt a strange, disquieting emptiness in his heart - as if someone has taken away from him something he desired; something he couldn't have…


	5. Chapter 5 - Ambush

Legolas sighed. It's been a few hours since his strange, rather unpleasant conversation with his father. Dusk was falling over the Green Forest. Gold-plated lanterns that resembled the shape of a beautiful, large flowers with hanging buds, illuminated the path leading to the Grotto of the king of the elves.

Lady Arwen was walking slowly along the alley which was traced by light and big stones. Her blue coat was sinking in white snow lying on the path. Cold wind made her pale, beautiful face blush.

''Do not worry. I am sure that Aragorn will soon come back.'', said Legolas. For more than fifteen minutes, he accompanied queen in her walk and tried to soothe her nerves.

Arwen stopped in place and stared at the stone fountain located at the place where the alley branched in four different directions.

''I hope so, I hope so, Legolas.'', she said. There was anxiety in her melodious voice.

They moved from place and continued walking until the sound of thud reached their ears. They both turned toward the noise and saw that the big gate leading into the Cave was open. After a while, ten riders emerged from the inside of the Grotto. At the head of the column rode the king of the elves. He was wearing a silver, shiny armor adorned with precious stones, and a long, burgundy cloak that gleamed with gold and was fastened with brooch carved in the shape of the rowan.

Thranduil hurried the horse. Animal's hoofers burrowed silver, pure snow. When the man caught up with Legolas and Arwen, he drew the reins. Horse neighed, kicked and stopped. The rest of the riders followed in king's footsteps. They all stopped and waited for ruler's orders.

Elvenking looked at woman and bowed his head respectfully.

''Lady.'', he said.

Arwen curtsied and smiled slightly.

Legolas looked worriedly at Thranduil.

''Father, you are not thinking about fighting with orcs, are you?'', he asked.

King looked at him briefly, then he shifted his blue eyes and looked into the distance... somewhere behind the circle of bright light of the lantern.

''I am going to do what I have to do'', he said.

''You can send your knights! Or at least… you can take me with you.'', an impatience could be heard in Legolas's voice. '' I will go with you!''

''No, you do not go anywhere. You are needed here.'', Thranduil looked at Arwen. It was as if he wanted to make his son understand that he should look after the lady.

''Father…'', Legolas shook his head.

King gave him a sharp look and lifted up the reins. He was about to move, when Arwen stopped him. She took a red ribbon out from her coat pocket and handed it to Thranduil .

''I did not have an occasion to give it to my husband, so I give it to you, lord. Maybe it will bring you luck.'', she said.

King took the ribbon, tied it around his arm, and then nodded.

''Thank you.''

He swung his reins and moved forward. His knights did the same.

* * *

Aragorn hurried his horse and leaned over his neck. _''What have I done?''_, he thought. He didn't want to plead guilty, but he knew that what happened was his fault. He shouldn't have given Thranduil a ring. He should have destroyed it. It's obvious that orcs will want to get their trinkets back. They never forgive. So… how could he be so stupid?

_''Why did I take this ring? Why?! It should have remained in the cursed orcs'cave!''_, these intrusive thoughts didn't give him peace of mind. Two months ago, on one of his expeditions, he found an emerald ring belonging to orcs. He fell in love with beautiful, shiny stone right away, so he decided to take it. Of course, Aragorn wasn't stupid - he knew that orcs would notice the lack of something so dreamlike. However, he didn't expect that they would decide to perform so well organized, armed action of recovering the object. Apparently, the ring was more important than he thought.

He looked to the left. Five riders from Thranduil's guard were riding next to him on the dappled horses. One can think that the expedition of six warriors against five hundred orcs is a suicide, but, well, they weren't going to fight. They wanted to conduct a reconnaissance.

Blond locks of the elf riding next to him were waving in the air. King of Gondor stared at them for a moment. He thought about Thranduil's beautiful hair. Even before he met him a few years ago, he heard various funny rumors. Some of them said that Elvenking's skin is smooth like alabaster and fragrant as violets; others assumed that his hair smells like camomile which soothes the nerves and produces a feeling of happiness. Aragorn was curious whether these rumors were true. Well, probably not. Rumors are spread to entertain and harass others, not to tell the truth.

They continued riding. At one point they saw a red glow on the horizon. King of Gondor stopped his horse and raised his hand. His companions stood behind him. Aragorn peeked out from behind a tree. In the distance, on a hill, he saw a big camp, consisting of dozen tents. Small groups of ugly orcs were walking here and there.

''Scout was telling the truth. There are plenty of them.'', said one of the elves. One could see fear in his bright eyes.

Aragorn drew a deep breath into his lungs. He was about to say something, when he heard a crack behind his back. A few seconds later, fifteen armed orcs jumped out from behind the bushes. Aragorn's and elves' horses neighed and pranced. Dúnadan tried to stay on the horse, but he couldn't make it – he slumped on the ground and rolled toward the boulder lying under a pine tree. Fortunately, the fall wasn't dangerous, and a few seconds later Aragorn stood on his feet with drawn sword.

''It's a trap! Do not let them push us in the direction of the camp!'', he shouted.

Four elves restrained their horses and attacked the orcs. Fifth elf, whose horse completely refused to cooperate, got up from the ground and started to prepare a bow.

Aragorn lunged at the nearest orc, but he anticipated his move and quickly parried the attack. King jumped aside but tripped over a tree root and fell to the ground.

_''Glob!''_, snarled orc with contempt. He raised his rusty axe and prepared to lunge at his opponent. But he couldn't attack because Aragorn kicked him in the shin, stood up from the ground and pierced the orc with his sword. Creature gurgled, then stumbled and fell on its back.

Fight flared up. Unfortunately, it quickly turned out that six weary warriors dressed in light armors and armed mainly with bows and arrows, can do little against the fifteen heavily dressed orcs.

In the end, the whole group, including Aragorn, began to retreat and draw near the enemy's camp. King of Gondor knew that he couldn't allow himself to confront the large force of orcs. _''I might as well commit suicide.''_ Therefore, he decided to do something crazy but necessary - at one point he started to push forward, kicking enemies whenever possible. The idea was pretty good, but after a while he and his companions weakened. Orcs used it and fought with redoubled force. Three elves almost immediately fell to the ground writhing in pain. The other two fought stubbornly, but in the end they slumped on the ground. The only one standing on the battlefield was Aragorn. He was waving his sword and parrying the attacks, as befits a remarkable king, but at some point a huge orc with face covered in red paint, plunged his sword down through king's clavicle. Aragorn fell to the ground.

A fierce laughter of orcs was heard in the air. Monsters looked at the fallen warriors with contempt.

Barely conscious Aragorn saw a hideous orc leaning over him and smiling like a lunatic. Man was preparing for the final blow, when suddenly, he heard the sound of trumpets and from the corner of his eye he saw silver horseshoes and hocks of a white horse. A thought passed through his mind, but he didn't manage to catch it because he lost consciousness.

* * *

When the king of Gondor opened his eyes, he saw a white, luminous figure who was leaning over him and holding something that looked like a small box. The figure seemed to be blurred, transparent. Aragorn tensed up and tried to get up. Unfortunately, he was too weak and fell back to the ground. He was blinking his eyes until finally, after a few seconds, he came to the conclusion that a person who leans over him is Thranduil.

''Please, do not move. You make it difficult for me.'', elf's melodious voice was like a balm for a human's tired heart. Aragorn relaxed his muscles and let Elvenking lubricate a wound with cold, sticky ointment.

''Orcs… what about them?'', he asked in a weak voice.

''Killed.'', said shortly Thranduil. His hands gently rubbed the ointment in Aragorn's wound. ''Fortunately, I arrived at the right time.''

King of Gondor looked around. He saw four dead orcs lying under the big tree. Group of Thranduil's knights was standing right next to them. They were talking in elvish and from time to time they were peeking at their king.

''Thank you.'', said Aragorn. Elf looked into his eyes and nodded. Human wanted to tell Thranduil the truth, but at that moment he couldn't find the courage. He sighed and turned his head. ''Have you seen tents pitched by orcs in the east? We now know that the scout was telling the truth. They can cause problems. What are you going to do?''

Elvenking closed the box with ointment and gave it to the archer standing next to one of the horses.

''I do not know yet. I will convene a meeting after our return.'', he said. He leaned over the wounded man and put his hand on his forehead. His long hair tickled the man's cheeks and nose. ''You have a fever. Ointment should prevent infection and quicken the healing process, but you need to be quickly transported to the palace, to the medic...''

Although Thranduil said something more, the meaning of his words didn't reach Aragorn. Because the man knew. He knew that not all the rumors were lying... or at least in this one case they were true. He closed his eyes and smiled cheerfully. In the air which was soaked with blood and death one could smell a pleasant, calming scent of camomile...


	6. Chapter 6 - Worries

Gimli lifted his glass and took a solid sip of greenish drink, which tasted like lemon grass mixed with alcohol. ''Elves_ have strange taste.''_, he thought. He has been a guest in Elvenking's palace for a long time, but he couldn't get used to all the elven traditions and rituals.

''Would you like to drink something more, sire?'', asked Fidhail.

Gimli shook himself from his reverie, took his eyes off the warm redness of flames dancing in a big fireplace, and looked at the elf. Thranduil servant, the only one from all the household members, who was spending so much time with the king... apparently he was the man who king trusted the most. Gimli could understand why. In his beautiful eyes which were resembling the shape and color of almonds, you could see the kindness, warmth and intelligence. Something in elf's face made other elves want to trust him implicitly and made them entrust their darkest secrets.

Gimli nodded. Servant walked up to the small, decorated table and poured greenish liquid into a glass. Then he turned toward Legolas, who was sitting in an armchair in front of Gimli, and said:

''You did not drink anything, my lord. Would you like me to bring somethnig else?''

Legolas shook his head.

''You do not have to. I am not thirsty. Thank you for your care, Fidhail. Go get some rest, you look pale.'', he said. He felt strange when the elf talked to him in such a grandiloquent manner. In the end, they were almost contemporaries - Fidhail was only a few years younger.

Servant bowed slightly, then headed for the door. When the man left the room, dwarf snorted.

''Hmmm… your father likes to surround himself with beautiful elves.'', he said. He fixed his eyes on Legolas and leaned forward.

Elf shook his head and chuckled slightly. His blue eyes reflected the delicate fireplace's flame.

''It seems that you have forgotten about something, my dear friend. Father does not choose servants by their appearance. You know that we elves are inherently beautiful. It's not that king has any choice. There is no option to find an elf who looks indifferently.''

Gimli's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Dwarf cleared his throat and began to fidget in his chair.

''Erm... yes. It's obvious. Of course I know it!'', he grumbled. Legolas raised his eyebrow. ''It's just... oh, never mind! Why are we talking about such a foolishnesses?! We have bigger problems than elves' appearance - for example wounded Aragorn who is lying in the room above us! Do you think he will get well?

Smile vanished from Legolas'face. Elf sighed and looked at the fiery mouth of the fireplace. When the father and his guards returned to the palace with the injured Aragorn, the state of the lord of Gondor was bad. Man was pale, he lost a lot of blood and had an alarmingly high fever. Medics feared that ointment didn't help and his wound got infected. Although, a few hours after their return the situation started to improve, the king was still in the strange, disturbing coma. This is why Legolas couldn't tell if Aragorn would recover. He hoped that this would happen, but he could not predict the future. He only knew that the next hour will show the fate of his friend.

After a short moment, Legolas put a smile on his face and nodded.

''Of course. Our herbalists can do wonders. I don't know if YOU dwarves and your clumsy hands can do that, but we elves...'', he said. He didn't want to share his disturbing thoughts with Gimli. He wanted to spare him grief and nerves. Therefore, rather than sadden, he decided to tease him. He knew his friend really well and he knew that in situations when someone tramples his ''dwarf pride'', he immediately forgets about all the problems and begin to fight in defense of his race.

''Really... stop it! We elves are beautiful, we elves are the best medics...'', interrupted him Gimli. His voice sounded shrill and funny. He put his hands on his hips and frowned. ''I don't need to be constantly reminded that I'm crude, stupid savage! Ugh. This is the second time today. SECOND, I tell you! Once again, and my tireless ax will go in motion!''

''Oh, forgive me. I do it out of habit.'', laughed Legolas.

Gimli sighed, scratched his hairy chin and stood up.

''Just forget about it. We should go to sleep. Tomorrow will be a tough day.'', he said, referring to a council which was announced immediately after Thranduil's arrival.

''You're right.'', Legolas got up from his chair and walked towards the door. After a few seconds the two friends disappeared into the hallway illuminated by small lamps in the shape of leaves.

* * *

Lady Arwen leaned over her husband and gently brushed away a strand of hair that fell to his feverish forehead.

''You will be well, my dear, and everything will be fine again.'', she whispered, stroking the man's cheek. His handsome face didn't even twitch. No response, no reaction.

Woman sighed and picked up the blue cloth which was lying on the dresser standing next to the bed. She dipped it in a gilded bowl standing in the corner of the room and put it on the Aragorn's forehead. Her eyes wandered over the man's face and then they fixed on a distant point probably inherent in the world of dreams and thoughts.

When a soft knock was heard in the room, woman blinked a few times and said in a weak, tired voice:

''Please come in.''

The door opened and the king of the elves stepped inside. He slowly approached the bed and looked at the unconscious Aragorn.

''Medics say that he is better, but I feel that his condition did not improve.'', said Arwen quietly.

Thranduil looked at her with his pure azure eyes. For a moment they looked at each other in silent expression of sorrow and hope. Then they both stared at Aragorn.

''I am sure he will be fine. He just needs some time.'', said in a calm voice the king of the elves.

''Thank you for your words of encouragement, sire.'', smiled Arwen, she patted her husband on the hot hand and got up from the chair. ''I am very sleepy. Now, if you will excuse me, I will go to my chamber.''

Thranduil nodded and she left the room. Elf walked to the bed and sat on its edge.

''You have no right to leave your wife. She is too fragile to bear the pain. So... if you die, I will never forgive you .'', he said, looking at Aragorn's closed eyes. For a second, a strange, electrifying idea crossed his mind. It was telling him that his command was just a selfish way to show some of his hidden desires. He blinked and shook his head. He quickly abandoned this thought and adjusted wet cloth lying on Aragorn's forhead. Emerald ring started to shine delicately…

* * *

Elf flicked back his dark hair and looked to the right, at his guest.

''I shouldn't have agreed. Arwen shouldn't be there.'', he said. The man standing beside him scratched his chin.

''Why do you say that?'', he asked. His voice sounded like an old, strong bell.

''Strange winds blow above the _Taur-e-Ndaedelos_. I feel that something really bad is going to happen there, Gandalf.''

Old man named Gandalf frowned his bushy eyebrows and clenched his hand around his wooden cane. If Elrond had a bad feeling, that meant only one thing- a tragedy will take place somewhere.

* * *

**A/N: In case someone doesn't know this - _Taur-e-Ndaedelos _is an other name of Mirkwood :) **


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